The present invention pertains to a device for handling heavy components of a crystal puller according to the Czochralski method which is supported in a supporting frame, wherein the crucible that is supported on a supporting bolt is heated inside the pulling chamber by the thermal radiation of a heating element that surrounds the crucible, and wherein the crystal is pulled up from the surface of the molten mass into a lock chamber by means of a pulling device arranged above the molten mass, comprising a horizontally arranged supporting beam that can be vertically displaced and pivoted about the vertical line, preferably about one leg of the supporting frame.
According to the conventional pulling process, the crystal is pulled from a molten mass situated in a crucible under reduced pressure in a vacuum or a protective gas atmosphere, wherein the crucible is arranged on a crucible supporting bolt in a vacuum chamber that is supported by a supporting frame and heated by the thermal radiation of a heating element, and wherein a pulling element is provided above the molten mass. In this case, the crystal is pulled up from the surface of the molten mass into a lock chamber.
After separating the crystal from the puller by fracturing or cutting the seedling, the crucible can be removed from the lock chamber. When processing smaller crystal diameters up to approximately 150 mm, this can be carried out manually. However, when processing larger diameters, auxiliary devices are required for supporting the weight of the crystal before the seedling is severed and allowing the lateral removal from the sluice chamber. Crystal pullers for crystals of larger diameter also have larger dimensions and greater weight. When pulling a crystal with a diameter of 300 mm, quartz crucibles with a batch weight up to 250 kg are utilized. The insertion and removal of such crucibles can only be realized with mechanical devices. This applies correspondingly to all other components and elements of the system which can no longer be moved manually.
A number of devices already exist which, however, pertain exclusively to the removal of the crystal.
For example, supporting elements have been proposed that are inserted in the bottom of a tube, which has a larger diameter than the crystal and which is mounted onto the lock chamber door and surrounds the crystal, with the aid of a swivel valve that separates the lock chamber from the pulling chamber. This is carried out in such a way that the weight of the crystal is supported after it is lowered onto the supporting elements, and the crystal can be pivoted outward together with the door while located inside the tube (DE 196 08374.5, not yet published).
In addition, a laterally separable decoupling device has been proposed which comprises a coupling ring that is mounted on the pulling element as well as a mushroom-shaped head part, on which the crystal is suspended (DE 195 38857.7, not yet published).
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,350,560, the removal of the crystal is realized by laterally pivoting away the lock chamber with the crystal and subsequently lowering the crystal into a supply container through the open bottom of the lock chamber.